Speaking Engagement

Freedom and Inclusivity: DEI Programs in Light of Recent Supreme Court Decisions in Students for Fair Admissions

Blank Rome partner Melanie S. Carter will serve as a panel moderator and Blank Rome partner Anthony B. Haller and senior counsel Hon. Timothy K. Lewis will serve as panelists at the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution’s (“CPR”) Annual Meeting 2024, being held March 6 through 8, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Attorneys from leading law firms and respected neutrals and academics will explore trends, best practices, and the latest developments in dispute resolution and management.

ABOUT THE SESSION

Melanie, Anthony, and Judge Lewis’ session, “Freedom and Inclusivity: DEI Programs in light of Recent Supreme Court Decisions in Students for Fair Admissions,” will take place on Thursday, March 7, from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College has sparked a national debate about the battle for equality in corporate America and the legal professional and the continuing viability of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DE&I”) programs and practices. Certain advocacy groups have begun using this landmark decision to challenge current norms beyond college admissions policies. How should companies and the legal profession respond to these challenges?

The panel will address this question in a far-ranging discussion covering the implications of Students for Fair Admissions for corporate DE&I programs, law firm efforts to address longstanding underrepresentation in the profession, and the unique challenges facing underrepresentation in the judiciary and among alternative dispute resolution professionals.

Moderator:

• Melanie Carter (Blank Rome)

Panelists:

• Timothy Lewis (Blank Rome)
• Anthony Haller (Blank Rome)
• Michael McGinley (Dechert LLP)

Other Meeting sessions include:

• The Freedom to Incorporate AI into the ADR Process
• Corporate Counsel Roundtable
• Arbitrators and Mediators: How Much Freedom Do You Give or Take from Your Participants & A Mediator’s Freedom to Lie
• Cybersecurity Ethics
• Freedom or Folly: Is Illegally Obtained Evidence Admissible in an Arbitration Proceeding?
• Innovative and Flexible Approaches to ADR
• Differences between U.S.-Based and International Arbitrations
• Defending Arbitration and its Advantages as a Means of Deciding Consumer Disputes
• Dispute Prevention and the Impact of Non-Binding Dispute Resolution Mechanisms on Sustainability-Related Disputes in the Financial Sector

CLE credits are available.

ABOUT CPR

Established in 1977, CPR is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes the prevention and resolution of conflict to better enable the pursuit of purpose through the CPR Institute and its subsidiary, CPR Dispute Resolution Services LLC.

For more information and to register, please visit the event website.